President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that the United States will not have enough covid vaccine shots this fall to ensure free and easy access for all Americans if Congress fails to pass the প্রশাস 22.5 billion in additional funding requested by the administration.
Biden said the United States has sufficient supplies to ensure that qualified individuals have access to the fourth shot. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention this week recommended additional Pfizer or Modern Doses for people 50 years of age or older, as well as some young people with reduced immunity.
Biden, 79, received his fourth dose on live television after his remarks.
As the country enters a new phase of its vaccination drive, the president urges Congress to work to ensure that the United States has the necessary resources in case another wave of infection occurs.
“The Americans are back in their way of life,” Biden said. “We cannot surrender it. Congress please act. You must act immediately. The consequences of inaction are serious, they will only increase over time.”
Don O’Connell, a top official in the Department of Health and Human Services, told Congress Wednesday that the United States does not have the required dose if a booster campaign for the general public proves necessary in the fall.
O’Connell told the House Select Committee, “We have significant concerns about whether we will have enough vaccines if we run a general population growth campaign in the fall, especially if we need an alternative-specific vaccine.” Coronavirus crisis.
“We don’t have any of these doses, or we don’t have any funding for those doses,” said O’Connell, HHS’s assistant secretary for preparation and response.
New infections and hospital admissions have dropped by more than 90% since the peak of the winter omikron wave in January. However, the decline in infections has slowed down and plateau in recent days as the more contagious Omicron subvariant, BA.2, has become the dominant version of Kovid in the United States. BA.2 has already created new waves of infection in Europe and China.
White House Chief Medical Adviser. Anthony Fawcett said earlier this month that BA.2 could potentially increase transmission in the United States. He did not expect another increase in lawsuits.
The Washington State Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that infections will continue between spring and summer. However, Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist at IHME, said another increase could occur in the fall as vaccines reduce immunity and people move in colder weather.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress have failed to reach a 15 billion bipartisan deal on Covid funds, less than the White House has requested. Republicans want to cover any new spending by cutting funds already allocated to state and local governments. Democrats have rejected that claim.
Discussions are underway in the House and Senate to find a compromise.
Biden further warned that there would be no money for testing, monoclonal antibody treatment and antiviral pills if another covid wave spread in the United States.
The president also unveiled a new official website, covid.gov, where Americans can find out where they can get masks, tests, vaccines and treatments.